Interim
Joint Committee on Education

Minutes
of the<MeetNo1>5th Meeting

of
the 2011 Interim

<MeetMDY1>October 10, 2011

Call to Order and Roll Call

The<MeetNo2>fifth meeting of the Interim Joint
Committee on Education was held on<Day>Monday,<MeetMDY2>October 10, 2011, at<MeetTime>10:00 AM, in the
Clay Community Center, Mount Sterling, Kentucky<Room>. Representative
Carl Rollins II, Co-Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary
called the roll.

Representative Henderson welcomed the committee and
introduced local Montgomery County officials. He said that Mount Sterling is
geared for growth and diverse manufacturing powers the region. Montgomery
County is the employment, shopping, and dining hub for a region of more than
100,000 people. With 5,000 manufacturing jobs in the county, more people
commute into the region than out for employment. World-class industries such as
Nestle, Cooper Standard, MASCO, Kyosan Denso, and Summit Polymers, among
others, have located in Mount Sterling, and they have been successful and
continue to grow.

Overview of Montgomery County Schools

Josh Powell, Superintendent, Montgomery County Schools, said
Montgomery County schools has a total population of about 5,000 students. There
are three elementary schools with a new one under construction, set to open in
fall 2012. The middle school and high school have facilities that set them
apart from other schools in Kentucky. Morehead State University (MSU) has an
extended campus onsite at the Clay Community Center. Maysville Community
College serves the needs for technical training to the local industry.

Mr. Powell expressed concern with the Office of Education
Accountability’s (OEA) policies and procedures. He feels OEA is preventing
school districts from making educational gains.

Wayne Andrews, President, MSU, said MSU is proud to partner
with Montgomery County and has its newest and largest extended campus located
in the Clay Community Center, next to the high school, which makes offering
dual credits and college courses to high school seniors easy. MSU has five
regional campuses, but the one at the Clay Community Center is the fastest
growing.

In response to questions
from Representative Collins, Dr. Andrews said the pharmacy school in
Paintsville that is partnering with Midway College should receive accreditation
and open in January 2012. Representative Collins discussed the abuse over the
years in proprietary and independent schools. Dr. Andrews said abuses are
widespread. However, students using Pell Grant funds must maintain a certain
grade point average or be placed on probation. He noted the federal loan
default rate acts as an equalizer across universities.

Approval of Minutes

Upon obtaining a quorum,
Representative Collins moved to approve the minutes of the September 12, 2011,
meeting. Representative Flood seconded the motion. The minutes were approved by
voice vote.

Energy Manager
Program

David Baird, Associate
Executive Director, Kentucky School Boards Association (KSBA), said the
Kentucky School Energy Managers Project (SEMP) and the Kentucky Energy Efficiency
Program for Schools (KEEPS) are helping schools maximize their energy savings
with the help of professionals. The SEMP, funded with a $5.1 million federal
economic stimulus grant and managed by the KSBA and the Kentucky Department for
Energy Development and Independence, has placed 35 local energy managers to
work in more than 130 Kentucky school districts. Many of those districts have
banded together to share the expertise of an energy manager. Each participating
district must contribute a portion of its manager’s salary, demonstrating the
depth of commitment. A companion grant, Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center
(KPPC), will enable KEEPS to provide a package of tools, training, coaching,
and expertise to assist all districts in developing a systems approach to
energy management.

Ron Willhite, Director, Energy Managers Project, KSBA, said
two decades ago, Kentucky was a national leader in education reform. Today, the
state is attracting national attention with its energy-efficient schools, both
new and retrofitted. A key concept in energy savings is sustainability. The
legacy of this program will be firmly established in Kentucky’s schools, even
after the federal funding is gone. It will be visible in the reduced energy
bills districts pay, in the savings that may be used to retain teachers and in
heightened awareness by staff and students of how the smallest of changes, like
flipping off a light switch, can make a big difference. It is also anticipated that
the school districts will realize enough savings to sustain the position of
energy manager to continue the focus on energy cost containment. Most
importantly, the legacy of this project will be visible in the next generation
and those students who absorb the lesson of energy efficiency in their schools
and carry it forward.

Mr. Willhite said that the 2008 executive and legislative
initiatives, including KRS 160.325, mandated the reduction of school energy
costs and providing intelligent energy choices for Kentucky’s future. A seven
point strategy for energy independence was identified, and the goal is to
reduce projected 2025 consumption by 16 percent.

Mr. Willhite encouraged public school districts to respond
to rising energy costs by focusing on the management of various uses of energy.
Local boards of education were required to enroll in KEEPS. KEEPS will produce an
annual report on the development of energy management plans and anticipated
savings to be obtained by those plans.

Mr. Willhite said the creation of the SEMP evolved into a
management team and 29 partnerships involving 130 districts formed, leading to
employment of 36 energy managers. Along with 14 existing energy managers, 144
districts benefit from services of a fulltime energy specialist. During a
two-year grant period, local energy managers will visit every school in the
districts they serve. They will: establish energy teams; facilitate development
of energy efficient goals; analyze utility bills; evaluate HVAC and lighting
systems; educate staff and students; foster wise energy choices; and develop
and implement an energy management plan. He said a handful of school districts
that have piloted similar programs with full-time energy managers have reaped
astounding savings. In just seven months, energy managers have identified more
than $2 million in annual cost savings and over $400,000 in refunds and rebates
for districts. Energy star schools have increased from 68 to 107.

Mr. Willhite concluded that opportunities moving forward
will be building commissions, control system training, succession planning, and
utility purchasing expertise. He said $3 million would extend the SEMP funding
for two years, and he would ask for a 50/50 match in year three and a 25/75
match in year four. The ultimate goal is to serve all 174 school districts and
employ 50 energy mangers.

In response to a question by Representative Flood, Mr.
Willhite said the energy managers who are serving 145 school districts are
appropriately being called “boots on the ground.” While districts have not
ignored energy efficiency practices in the past, for the first time they have a
trained specialist whose full-time responsibility is to focus around-the-clock
on making intelligent energy choices. He said working in concert with the
KSBA’s SEMP team and the state Department of Energy Development and
Independence (DEDI), has fostered the formation of an Energy in Education
collaborative to support schools in their efforts to save dollars that can be
better utilized in the classroom. He said it is exciting to see teachers
utilize the resources of the National Energy Education Development program, the
Green and Healthy Schools Project and the Kentucky Energy Efficiency Program
for Schools to prepare students to begin taking that knowledge home to foster a
new community awareness of best energy practices.

Responding to a question from Representative Graham, Mr.
Willhite said the grouping of the school districts on the map included in the
meeting materials located in the Legislative Research Library was determined by
counting school districts. Mr. Cooper said there is communication with all
school facilities about reducing energy consumption.

In response to a question from Senator Kerr, Mr. Baird said
some counties are not participating in the SEMP program. He said it was mainly
due to timing and budgetary issues. Some districts could not justify hiring an
energy manager while laying off teachers at the same time. He said many of
those districts have communicated that they want to participate in better
economic times.

Alternative Diplomas

Margaret Steinman, parent, Fayette County, testified that
her daughter did not receive a high school diploma, and this kept her from obtaining
employment. Studies show that students who earn a certificate of attainment
will earn 15 to 20 percent less than a high school graduate. Representative
Palumbo said she would like to meet with Ms. Steinman in Lexington at a later
time to discuss the matter in more detail.

Pat Taylor testified on behalf of her grandson, Roy Taylor,
who graduated from Simpson County. She does not believe it is good policy for
special needs students to earn certificates of attainment rather than high school
diplomas. She suggested adding “honorary” at the bottom of the high school
diplomas if students had not met all the criteria for graduation. Testing
should be different and accommodations made for special needs students. She
also said providing funding for tutors is essential because her grandson would
not have graduated if he had not received assistance from a tutor.

Robin Chandler, Policy Advisor and Legislative Liaison,
Office of Next Generation Learners, Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), said
the foundation of the American Diploma Project (ADP) is ensuring that students
graduate from high school prepared for success in college and careers. The ADP benchmarks
for the end of high school were written in 2004 to describe the skills needed
for success in postsecondary education and work. The benchmarks are cumulative,
describing what students need to learn by the end of high school. She said
states have requested more information about the detail of progression of
content and skills students would need to master through the grades in order to
meet the end-of-high school ADP benchmarks. To address this, the program is
tracking ADP benchmarks in mathematics from grade 12 down through kindergarten,
and in English from grade 12 down through grade 4.

Johnny Collett, Assistant Director of Division of Learning
Services, KDE, said the Individual Education Program (IEP) is determined
locally each year. The Admission and Release Committee (ARC) will help to
determine a program for each individual student. The ARC is the sole authority
in determining the needs of a child. It must have a representative on the
committee that is authorized to commit to district funds within the committee
meeting. The IEP again should be very specific as to when the program will be
in place, with trained personnel for the students.

Tracy Goff-Herman, Policy Advisor and Legislative Liaison,
Office of Guiding Support Services, KDE, said the Commonwealth Diploma was
initiated as a special recognition for students taking a very rigorous
curriculum and is considered a higher level than a standard diploma. There are
currently 1,500 students participating and on the path to receive the
Commonwealth Diploma. She said the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) has voted
not to repeal the administrative regulation eliminating the diploma for one
year in order to not affect the students who registered for the courses prior
to the 2012-2013 school year.

In response to a question from Representative Rollins, Ms.
Chandler said KDE is discussing adding specific student recognitions to
transcripts. Representative Rollins said employers need to know what specific
skills a student has and those skills should be listed on a transcript. He also
said the committee would revisit the issue of diplomas as several parents are upset
about the abolishment of the Commonwealth Diploma.

Responding to questions from Representative Carney, Mr.
Collett said that the IEP for students receiving special education services is
revisited and updated each year. This is to help ensure that the students are
progressing and on track to meet their education goals. He said the Admissions
and Release Committee is typically comprised of the student’s regular teacher, a
special education teacher, an assessment person, a parent, and possibly a
speech pathologist.

Senator Winters mentioned that Senator Westwood’s bill on
career pathways designates dedicated career counselors. He said this is a key
element to lower the dropout rate in Kentucky. He also said high performing
students could tutor students needing additional assistance.

Responding to questions from Representative Graham, Ms.
Goff-Herman said that some states offer a high school diploma for special needs
students and others offer a certificate of attainment, such as Kentucky. She
noted that students receiving special education services can still obtain a
high school diploma if they can meet the criteria, but the goal for some is to
obtain a certificate of attainment. There are 106,000 Kentucky students who
have an IEP, and 4,831 of those will participate in Kentucky’s alternate
certificate program.

In response to a question from Representative Glenn, Ms.
Goff-Herman said students receiving a certificate of attainment, like other
special education students, can receive transitional services. She noted that
some students with standard high school diplomas are still not employable.

Senator Westwood said every Kentucky student should have an
IEP. He believes students should have an individual learning plan (ILP) in the
fourth grade rather than the sixth grade. He said a career counselor is so
important to guide students on the path to college or career success.

Representative Rollins said his problem with the certificate
of attainment is that it does not show what skills a student has obtained. Ms.
Taylor said the certificate of attainment is no benefit to the student and the
system should be modified to allow all students to receive standard diplomas.
Ms. Steinman said the Admissions and Release Committee will tell parents that
the school district has placed their child on an alternative diploma track and
the parents can do nothing about it because the majority of the committee rules
the decision.

With no further business before the committee, the meeting
adjourned at noon.